We think the world is evil today, but it was just as wicked when Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians. But he also wants us to know today that we too have been delivered from “this present evil age” to “the age to come” (Ephesians 1:21) through the shed blood of Jesus. Paul starts this passage with two very important words…grace and peace. Grace is an undeserved act of kindness, and Paul uses this word more often than any other New Testament writer, all the while giving it immense theological significance. It refers to all that God has given us in Christ…nothing of which we’ve earned or can ever repay. Grace rescues us that we may then have the reassurance of peace…referring to our relationship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, “this present evil age” will continue until Jesus returns, but we can possess the grace and peace to withstand it.
Author: kezha1
A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ.
Proverbs 21:8 ” The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.”
This Proverb, as well as Proverbs 2:12-15, show the contrast between walking on the path of light or darkness. When men leave the straight path, they walk in darkness, delight in doing wrong, and rejoice in the perverseness of evil. This crooked path then makes them quarrelsome, ill tempered, and deceitful. Their words are those of rebellion and apostasy as they strife to twist the truth with half-lies. And if we’re not careful, we can be sucked into their dishonesty and hate. But we have the protective power of Godly wisdom, and it will deliver us from evil men as we do what is right in the sight of the Lord with integrity, honesty, and discretion.
Hebrews 5:11-14 ” We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teaching, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
The author of Hebrews is chastising Jewish Believers for their weak faith. He is frustrated with their spiritual condition of still needing basis and elementary principles instead of progressing on to deeper truths. His exhortation focuses on the dangers of failing to strive for spiritual maturity, and instead settling for spiritual laziness. I recently heard that only 11% of Born Again, Bible Believing Christian’s are reading their Bibles daily, so it’s not surprising that most of us prefer milk over solid food…it’s easier. Spiritual growth isn’t automatic, and nor is it just an intellectual exercise for others to do for our benefit. Spiritual maturity requires intentional effort and practice…an engagement and application of God’s Word on a regular basis…which leads to spiritual discernment, and obedience. For we’ll never obey what we don’t know or take the initiative to learn.
Romans 8:6 ” The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”
The Holy Spirit indwells the Believer, working to bring about a more righteous life and heart. He comforts, guides, convicts, admonishes, and teaches. The Holy Spirit warns us with conviction…attempting to convince us that what we’re deliberating about may not in our best interest…but He doesn’t control our final decision. That’s called Free Will…the right to choose according to our desires at the moment. Thus in the end, we have the choice to whether follow the Holy Spirit and have peace, or select our fleshly preference and experience unrest.
Proverbs 3:27 ” Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”
When my son was small, he slipped out of the house unseen and almost toddled into heavy traffic… if it wasn’t for a perfect stranger grabbing him. They didn’t have to do it, other than the ethical & moral obligation from one human being to another to do good, particularly when it was within their power to help. Titus 2:14 exhorts us to, “Be eager to do what is good.” For when we willingly fill another person’s need, we demonstrate the kindness & compassion of the love of Christ…overflowing in our hearts to others.
I John 2:20 ” But you have an anointing from the Holy One…”
With everything you’ve gone through, the enemy thought you were finished. But God turned it around into something greater than you ever thought could happen. That’s because the anointing on your life is real, it has sustained you from ruin, and is greater than anything the enemy can throw at you. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reminds us that nothing is impossible with God,(Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, Matthew 19:26) for He is more than able to accomplish what we cannot. So just remember, the oil has kept you, the promise has sustained you, and the glory will reveal you.
Isaiah 48:17 ” This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you what is best for you, Who directs you in the way you should go.”
We ask the Lord to direct our footsteps according to His Word, (Psalm 119:133) but when He attempts to order our steps, we balk, drag our feet, or worse yet, dig in our heels and refuse to move. But when we complain to God about our plight…He gently points out that we’re still stubbornly standing still. We don’t need to be reminded that our steps are ultimately directed by the Lord, (Proverbs 20:24) and that His Sovereignty of purpose is certain and perfect. Therefore, it all boils down to our obedience and realization that obedience is not a wasted endeavor on our part. So when we’re praying for direction…we need to be prepared to move forward in the Lord. For God can’t do much if our feet are planted in concrete…other than using (Holy Spirit) dynamite.
Psalm 144:9 ” I will sing a new song to You, O God…”
Psalm 33:3 tells us that “new ” songs were found in the context of victories in war or battles, which makes absolute sense…but makes me also think that many of us need to change our tune. Unfortunately for too long, we’ve been in a habitual pattern of singing the same old song…caught up on the mental treadmill of what life has dealt us. These “new” songs of victory described in Psalm 28:7 were joyous and triumphant songs filled with thanks and praise to God…not the routine, memorized varieties the people sang day in and day out… without even thinking about the words. So, just maybe we need to change our victim songs into victoriously overcoming the struggle ones…or our laments of regret into laudable songs of praise to God…or our complaining songs into new grateful ones of contentment.
John 14:4 ” You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Chapter 14 of John starts out by Jesus reassuring and comforting His disciples before He is arrested, tortured, and crucified. Other translations say, “Where I am going you know, and the way you know.” But when Thomas expressed his troubling confusion, Jesus brings everything into clarity for them all by stating, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) In other words, they already understand the Way to Where He is going by virtue of their ongoing and intimate relationship with Him. And today we can have that same kind of hope of eternal life too if we will turn from our sin and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
I Peter 1:13 ” Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
“Prepare your minds for action,” to Peter meant, “Gird up your loins mentally”…which in modern terminology might mean, “Fasten your seatbelts,” or “Roll up your sleeves.” This phrase of Peter’s was a metaphor for preparing oneself mentally for action and readiness for the challenges ahead as a Christian in this broken world. For Peter knew what it was like to boldly follow Jesus in the face of persecution, and is urging us today to prepare for vigorous and sustained spiritual exertion by living a God-centered life that reflects our faith…which is the only way we can set our hope fully on the grace to be given us when Jesus Christ makes His return.
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